Usually in most places you have to be a legal resident for a few years (5-10) and then you will be granted a citizenship, as far as I know in New Zealand it is only 2 years, in some countries it is enough that your ancestors were from the place, you do not even have to visit the country (Germany and Ireland used to have those laws). In the US and Israel you can become a citizen quite easily if you join the army (12-18 months, have to be a resident though). I also heard that Venezuela is supposed to be an easy place. There are also some more extreme places, in Andorra for instance you have to be a resident for at least 18 years if you got there before you turned 18, ant 26-32 years if after you turned 18... Wonder how it is in North Korea or Libya So, do you have any interesting information ?

A person with one Irish-born grandparent may claim Irish citizenship. Compare that to the UK, where citizenship isn't even granted to people born outside the UK to a British mother and a non-British father.

A foreigner must reside in Venezuela for 10 years (reduced to 5 years for nationals of Spain, Portugal, Italy and any Latin American or Caribbean state) before they can become a citizen. According to hearsay it's quite easy to buy Venezuelan citizenship. ¡Viva la corrupción!

I know the hardest country to gain citizenship in Thailand. 100 Citizenships are granted each year and to qualify you have to have been resident in Thailand for 10 years, speak fluent Thai, have been recommended by a senior Thai member of the community and then pay a USD $16000 fee.

The USA is pretty easy - there is even a citizenship lottery

I used to think the brain is the most fascinating part of my body. But, hey, who is telling me that?

Well thanks for the info Ussherd ! Wonder how much it would cost, I saw a documentary on BBC a few months ago about a terror cell in France, they bough "real" (government issued, but not earned so to say) passports for 6000 Euros.

Luv2fly, You are aloud to enlist as long as you have a green card. But you can not became an officer, or the commander of a ship/aircraft before you become a citizen.

I am not sure though I do not believe that if you are not a citizen of the USA you can even join the army?

There were stories about US Army soldiers, who were wounded during major combat operations in Iraq, who received citizenship earlier than they normally would.
I used to do some work for the US Army during their field exercises here in the Czech Rep. and I remember talking to guys with Green Cards only from Haiti, Honduras, Poland, Israel... almost like a French Foreign Legion

If you want to become a Canadian citizen, I suggest you come here late 2005, early 2006 - specifically in the province of Quebec. Ask for your Canadian citizenship right away. Obviously, your request will end up at the bottom of the list, from which it will slowly bubble up at the best speed bureaucracy can provide.

But here's the trick.

There will be election here in Quebec in 2007-2008, that will put the Quebec's nationalist party (PQ) back in power. And as that party is likely to call another referendum, then your request for Canadian citizenship will get approved right away. That's right, during referendum campaigns here in Quebec, all the Canadian citizenship requests are simply rubber-stamped, in less time than you can say "Oh! Canada...".

It happened just like that twice before, in 1980 and in 1995. It doesn't get any simpler than that.

In order to become a Monegasque citizen, a member of one's direct family (typically one's father or husband - it is mainly male oriented) must be Monegasque. The only other way is to be granted citizenship by the sovereign, Prince Rainier III.

I know the hardest country to gain citizenship in Thailand. 100 Citizenships are granted each year and to qualify you have to have been resident in Thailand for 10 years, speak fluent Thai, have been recommended by a senior Thai member of the community and then pay a USD $16000 fee.

I should also point out that people of afro-caribbean descent will not usually be considered for Thai nationality, racist I know but that's life eh.

Can you imagine if a Western nation adopted such a barbaric stance? This is nothing less than sheer racism. And yet, the world accepts it. Thailand should be boycotted by the world at large until it ends such racist policy.

Concerning Israel, I´ve got a Southafrican colleague, who has been working in Israel for a long time (IAI, IMI). His two daughters both served in the Israeli military, but when they applied for a citizenship, or even for a permanent residency (their father lost his job after the second intifada), they got told politely to f*ck off because they were not Jewish. Understandably they are quite p*ssed off.

Yyz717 - I agree, although to be fair the afro-caribbean population hasn't really covered itself in glory in Thailand - 95% of foreigner crimes are by afro-caribbeans (mostly Nigerians in the drug trade). So if you are Afro Caribbean and want Thai nationality you had better be squeaky clean with a good sponsor and a wedge load of $$$$. Anyway your average Afro-Caribbean hasn't got $16,000 to spend on citizenship to a country where the wages are probably only slightly higher than at home. Not when you can get Us or EU nationality a heck of a lot easier

I used to think the brain is the most fascinating part of my body. But, hey, who is telling me that?

In Saudi Arabia it is stated that you will never become a Saudi citizen regardless of where you come from or from whatever religion. However, there is a rule that says if you somehow manage to stay in the country past the expiry date of your Hajj visa after 5 or 10 years you can seek citizenship. That's if you don't get caught and don't get your head chopped off in the meantime.

Good luck everyone!! Failing that come to England. Everyone gets in and everyone can stay for as long as they like. You don't even have to speak English for the rest of your life. We're great!

Here in Venezuela its extremely easy to become a citizen if you go to a pro-goverment meeting and say that you support the revolution and that you will vote for Chavez. After you do that you will inmediately receive your ID card or Cedula indicating that you are a Venezuelan citizen. With your ID you can easily get your own Venezuelan passport. Thats the cheap way... but you can also buy your citizenship if you know people that work inside the inmigration agency.

I hear a lot of interesting thing, I am especially tempted to move to Canada if that Quebec thing would really work, also the Venezuelan method is rather interesting, anybody know how much it probably would cost ?

One thing that I have been wondering for a while is the laws of EU countries, I am quite an EU buff myself with citizenship from two EU countries but I still do not know if the EU (or Schengen) will ever have a common naturalization policy, anybody ? Will it ever happen that the requirements for an EU citizenship will be the same in every country ? How is it now ?

Another thing that I can not seem to find out is, how do you become a citizen of an EU country if you already are a citizen of another EU country, do you only have to live there for a certain time ? Since work and stay visas are not needed, it's difficult to determine how long you have been there.

US Military Service and Citizenship:
You must have a green card to enlist in the military, but your time in the military counts twice as much as the time required by citizenship.

You must be a citizen to become a commissioned officer.

I am not sure if you are able to qualify for a security clearance with a green card.

Becoming a Citizen in general:
Getting you citizenship is fairly easy if you have a green card and the required time in country, which is the hard part. The hardest part for my mother was getting her paperwork through the INS, they lost her paperwork, including quite a sum of money paid for her birth certificate from Tehran, and getting it translated. But one call to the local Senator fixed it right up.

Argentina: 2 years living.. or Just deposit 30k U$D in an argentinian account and you'll get your citizenship in 2 years.. also you can pay some immigration officer arround 1000 U$D and get it in 24hs !

"...also you can pay some immigration officer arround 1000 U$D and get it in 24hs !..."

Reminds me of a story a Bolivian construction guy told me. A couple of acquaintances of his paid $1000 to smugglers back in 98 to get by bus from Yacuiba across the border and all the way to Cordoba. They were almost caught twice, first at the border and then near Jujuy by Road Control. Then they were duped by the smugglers and dumped outside the suburbs of Jujuy (the promise a ride to Cordoba).

What the smugglers forgot was to take back the argentine passports they had given the two guys in Bolivia. The smugglers apparenty tried to use those passports with as many people as possible, but they usually asked for them to be returned in the 'safe houses', when there's no chance of getting stopped by police. They never ask before the safe house and apparently the smugglers forgot this in their haste to get back to the border.

So, they dumped the two guys 1000km short of Cordoba, but the two Bolivians were now fully Argentine Citizens...

In principle, one need only to show "some evidence" that one of his/her grand parents was of Greek descent, and it is smooth and quick. (1/4th)
In view of the Olympic Games, they extended it one level up, one has to show some Greek descent for one great grand parent. (1/8th)

We did end up with a Gold medalist who does not know a word of Greek. (real)
We also had a softball team speaking only US English.(but no medal)

Before every major sport competition the rule comes into force,
(weightlifting, handball, volleyball, basketball, etc...) and also just prior to elections where the left is in dire needs of votes.

Rumours has it that if you are very good in a sport, there will be somebody at the Minsitry ready to testify that you are from Greek descent.